Look at the protections on the picks :
As @taniaganguli and @_Andrew_Lopez have reported, slight clarifications here:
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 16, 2019
No. 4 pick in 2019
Pelicans get 2021 pick if it’s top 8 — otherwise they get unprotected 2022 pick.
Unprotected pick swap in 2023
Unprotected first rounder in 2024 that Pelicans can defer to 2025. https://t.co/ljL6eBbUOH
It's bad. Real bad, IMO. I like the trade better for the Pels.
It's one thing to give 3 picks, it's another to have them not protected/"reverse protected" , adding swap rights or "rights to defer".. I mean they forced the Lakers into giving stuff that we didn't know were possible ! The last deal that included multiple consecutive years of control via unprotected pick/swap rights didn't end up very well...
Especially when you consider that LeBron is old, Davis is injury prone and nothing guarantees that he's gonna re-sign in LA. (Dwight didn't).
The Lakers are poorly run, Frank Vogel is their coach, LeBron (+ LA) is a circus...Things can go wrong... If they do, they're not protected at all. I'm convinced that they could have been a little more. Things don't always go as planned. Negotiating is not agreeing to every demand the other party has. It seems that in this deal that was the case.
Now I don't think that's HORRIBLE per say for LA, I just think, it was un-necessary. When you compare it to what The Raptors/OKC had to give up for similar-ish players, it's night and day.
I think there was a middle ground. Something like : Ball + Ingram + Kuzma + 4th + unprotected 2020 + TOP4 protected 2022.
I really like the deal for the Pels and I'm concerned about the potential downside for LA. But A.D is awesome and they should be among the favourites next year, no doubt. If he stays, they probably are in a good spot to contend for years to come ; that's worth a lot.